Love Between the Stars
by Boyfrom0z
Summary: Kirk and Spock are alone on a starlit planet and Jim sees the Vulcan in a whole new way. Takes places after the 2009 movie. T for guy/guy. Oneshot.


Inspired by the line "I'll Leave My Love Between the Stars" from the David Bowie song "As the World Falls Down" from one of my favorite movies, _The Labyrinth_.

I've never written for Reboot!Trek before and I haven't seen in a while so please the fact that they probably sound more like TOS... I tried so hopefully you'll enjoy it.

* * *

Kirk had sworn he wasn't going to let anything distract him from his goals in Star Fleet. Sure, he had a good time every now and then (Ok, so maybe it was more often than that), but it was never anything serious. He certainly never planned on falling in love. He had better things to do. He was a Starfleet captain after all.

Now the Captain stood on a barren planet, gazing up at the vast expanse of space, alone save for his First Officer. Their mission on the surface had been completed and they were ready to beam back up to ship. Spock reached for his communicator, but his Captain's voice stopped him.

"Wait," said Kirk.

"Yes, Captain?"

At first Jim did not reply, he just stared at the sky, his blue eyes reflecting a million tiny pinpricks of light that each lit so many undiscovered worlds.

"It's really something, isn't it?"

"It's space, Captain," said Spock, completely thrown by Jim's odd behavior.

"Think about it. We spend every day in space, but we never really stop and look at it. I mean, _look_ at it, Spock."

Spock looked. He raised his dark eyes to the heavens and observed the stars, calculating their position in space and wondering what humans found so captivating about staring at the stars.

"Shall we beam up to the ship now, Captain?"

Kirk did not respond.

"Captain?" Spock looked over at Jim to find him utterly transfixed by the night sky above him. He shook his head slightly. Humans were such odd creatures. He raised his gaze upwards once again.

In those moments Jim was far from the strange planet on which they stood. He had always loved the stars and there was something magical about looking at the strange constellations that could not be seen on any other world. He could not explain his captivation, but there it was nonetheless.

His blue eyes flicked to Spock and he suddenly found himself confronted by a sight far more captivating than any stars.

The Vulan's green-tinted skin was pale in the starlight, appearing almost luminous. A million stars were reflected in his dark eyes, which were focused on some far off place that Kirk could not see. His home world, perhaps? The starlight reflected off his hair as well, causing it to shine in the darkness.

"Spock," whispered Kirk involuntarily.

"Yes, Captain?" asked the Vulcan, turning his eyes to the blond.

Kirk just stared at him for a long moment before shaking himself.

"Nothing."

"There was not something you wished to tell me?"

Jim felt his heart skip a beat. Did Spock know what he'd been thinking about how the starlight made him look? The Captain licked his lips and glanced around the barren plant.

"This is not the ideal location for a shore leave," observed Spock.

"No," replied Kirk vaguely.

The two men both raised their eyes to the starscape above their heads.

"Spock?"

"Yes?"

"Do Vulcans stargaze?"

"We study astronomy."

"But do you stargaze?"

"It is illogical."

"Of course it is, just like everything else that's-." Kirk cut himself off quickly.

"That is what, Captain?"

"Nothing."

Jim sighed and stole another look at his starlit First Officer. He had never truly looked at Spock as he was doing now. Perhaps it was human and illogical, but to Kirk there was something magical about starlight, something _romantic_. He found himself suppressing a sudden and extremely powerful urge to reach out and touch the Vulcan. Panic flared momentarily inside him with this alien urge, but the starlight somehow soothed it all. Spock looked, dare he say, _beautiful_ in this starlight.

His eyes back on the heavens, Jim took a half-step closer to his First Officer. They were close now and on the silent planet, Kirk could hear the Vulcan's quiet, even breathing. With his eyes sill on the stars like Spock's, the Captain's hand inched closer to Vulcan's until Jim's first two fingers brushed against Spock's. Kirk felt him shiver before the Vulcan jerked his hand away a moment later and turned his eyes on the human.

"Captain," he said, his voice half questioning, half accusing.

"Spock."

"Captain, I am sure you are aware of the _sensitivity_ of Vulcan hands."

"Quite aware, Mr. Spock," said Jim calmly. He knew he had done the equivalent of kissing his First Officer there in the starlight.

"Then I must ask-."

"Must you?" interrupted Kirk, touching his fingers to Spock's once more.

This time the Vulcan did not pull away. He slowly raised his hand to chest height, brining Jim's with his.

The Captain could see something flickering behind the dark, Vulcan eyes. He slowly moved his hand so that all their fingertips pressed together, in effect, deepening the kiss. Spock's lips were ever so slightly parted and Jim longed to kiss him properly. However, he knew what this touch meant to Spock and was not about to break the moment.

Agonizingly slowly, their fingertips slipped to the sides and their fingers began to intertwine. It took an eternity and Jim could see it was ecstasy to Spock, whose lips were parted wider now, his eyes half shut in pleasure. As their fingers closed around one another's hands, the Vulcan gave a suppressed gasp and Jim knew he had won. Fingers interlinked, palms pressing together, the two men stood bathed in starlight, oblivious to the starship orbiting somehow above them, awaiting their call to beam back up. They stepped closer to one another, Jim moving his hand slightly against Spock's, something the Vulcan seemed to be enjoying. Gazing into each other's eyes both could see the million stars above their heads.

"Spock," whispered Jim.

The Vulcan shook his head ever so slightly to silence the blond.

Jim reached his free hand out to Spock's face and laid it slowly, gently against the Vulcan's cheek. For a moment Spock did not react, then he lifted his hand and placed it carefully on top of Jim's, sliding his finger's between his Captain's. Jim took another half step forward so that they were nearly touching, mere inches apart, their interlocked hands trapped between their chests.

Bright blue and deep brown eyes slid shut and two pairs of lips came together in a sweet, starlit kiss.

For a moment both men were in paradise. However, an electronic sound rent the silent air.

Kirk and Spock leapt apart as if they'd been caught be the entire crew. The Captain coughed awkwardly and pulled out his communicator.

"Kirk here."

"Excuse me Captain, but are you wanting to come back to the ship?" asked Scottie's voice.

Jim met Spock's eyes, but the dark orbs betrayed nothing.

"Yes."

"Ready when you are, Captain."

Spock nodded his readiness to Kirk.

"Energize."

Several hours later the Captain left the bridge to go to his quarters for the night. The turbo lift doors were about to close when Spock slipped into the lift as well.

"Mr. Spock," Kirk acknowledged.

"Captain."

Neither had spoken of what had passed between them on the planet's surface.

Kirk tried and failed to think of something duty-related to say to Spock. Spock stood in his usual stoic silence.

The lift doors opened and Kirk stepped out, followed by Spock.

The Captain walked in silence to his quarters, trying to ignore the fact that Spock seemed to be ignoring him, trying to ignore the fact that the Vulcan seemed to have left his emotions behind in the starlight. The doors to Jim's rooms slid open and once again Spock slipped through doors as they closed behind Kirk.

Jim turned to look at the Vulcan.

"Captain," he began, but Kirk stopped him with a look. "_Jim_."

Jim nodded his approval.

"I am not sure the proper way to express-."

"You were doing just fine early," said Kirk in a low, seductive voice, stepping nearer to his First Officer as he saw that the Vulcan was indeed interested.

Spock dropped his steady gaze from Jim's smirking face.

"I'm sure this is greatly unsettling to your Vulcan logic, but I'm going to make a human suggestion and say just go with it." Jim's smirk broadened. He had the Vulcan and he knew it. All he had to do now was get Spock to admit it.

"Go with it?" repeated Spock, quirking one eyebrow.

"Yeah, go with it. Go with your _emotions_." His smirked widened into a grin.

"Emotions." Jim could hear the strain in Spock's voice. He was beginning to lose his perfect, Vulcan control.

"I know you have them. You've proved that much to me already." Jim was now seriously invading Spock's person space, but Spock had followed him in to his quarters, so, in Jim's book, the Vulcan was asking for it.

"Cap- Jim," he corrected himself at a look from Kirk. "I only wished to-."

"To what, Spock?" asked Jim, so close to Spock now that the Vulcan could feel the human's breath on his face, hear the soft brush of his lips as he spoke. "Was there something you wished to tell me?" he asked, repeating Spock's own words.

"Jim, I-."

"Or something you wished to _show_ me?" Jim's hand darted out and he ran a finger swiftly down Spock's palm.

The Vulcan gave a gasp as his control shattered.

The next thing Jim knew, his hand was trapped in Spock's strong, Vulcan grip and he was being crushed against Spock's chest, their lips pressed together, free arms wrapped around each other's bodies.

When they broke the passionate kiss, Jim was gasping for air. He raised his eyes slowly to Spock's and saw the Vulcan's face was stoic once more.

"What _is_ it with you?" he asked.

"I am not sure I understand the question."

Jim laughed and shook his head.

"Spock."

"Yes?"

Jim smirked wickedly and held his hand out to the Vulcan, who barely hesitated a moment before sliding his long fingers over his Captain's. The blond closed his fingers around Spock's and pulled him close once more. For a minute, he simply looked at the Vulcan – _his_ Vulcan. He raised his free hand and ran a finger along Spock's strong jaw line. The Vulcan leaned towards the human – _his_ human – to kiss him once more, but Jim pulled away, still smirking, still holding Spock's hand.

"Show me," he whispered, pulling the Vulcan towards his bed and hitting the lock on the doors as he passed.


End file.
